How Hula Hoops Help Shooting Skills

To get my middle school players (boys and girls) to jump straight up and to come down where they left the floor when they shoot I have them jump/shoot in hula hoops.

In two line shooting I have hoola hoops at each shooting spot. The passer has to throw the pass to the outside of the hoop (away from the defense) and the shooter has to enter the hoop (circle) with the foot closest to the goal, pivot correctly and jump off both feet when they shoot. When the shooter comes down they must have both feet land in the circle.

The pass comes from the base line. The pass must be a bounce pass. I do the shots from the blocks, middle of the lanes (between hash marks), and the elbow. I use both goals and use it as a competition. Sometimes you go to 40 at the block, 35 from the middle, and 30 at the elbow and some times I do each spot for three to four minutes at a time
and switch goals at the end of each session.

For the block shooting I make the boys and girls shoot one handed so that they will keep their shooting elbow in and release the ball above their head when they shoot. I make them jump when they shoot so that they get both feet under their shoulders for power and lift.